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Policy

30 March 2015Foreign Affairs

The last combat troops have recently left Afghanistan after
13 years of warfare but with considerable instability in Syria and Iraq and the
threat of Islamic State foreign affairs are highly relevant to the future of
the United Kingdom. Traditionally issues of defence and foreign affairs have
not featured significantly in UK elections although some would credit the high
level of support received by the Liberal Democrats in 2010 to their opposition
to the Iraq War.

The Conservative Party have come under pressure to pledge to
spend 2 per cent of Gross Domestic Product on defence, with back benchers from
the party calling on the leadership to ring fence funding for the armed forces.
This kind of commitment hasn't happened in the past but budget cuts in coming
years mean funding could drop below this threshold.

The ease of global transport and technological links has
increased the ties between countries. In addition addressing many global
challenges, such as climate change and the Ebola outbreak and other public
health crises, requires a response greater than what one individual country can
achieve.

The UK's continued membership of the European Union will
also be under scrutiny during the election campaign. The Conservative Party
have pledged a referendum in 2017 following a renegotiation of membership. UKIP
want Britain to leave the EU while the Liberal Democrats are firmly behind
continued membership. The Labour Party believe that the best option for Britain
is to remain in a reformed European Union

Christian perspective

Christians often pray for situations in countries around the
world, at the election we have the opportunity to have a say about how our
government engages beyond the borders of the UK. It can also be difficult to
see how we can have a difference especially in the face of the extreme violence
and warfare many experience across the globe.

Some Christians take a view that war is always wrong, while
others argue for certain conditions which have to be met to justify it.
Theoretical positions are also complicated by the specific situations surrounding
decisions whether the UK should enter a particular conflict. While we hope and
long for the day when war will be no more we also act in our world to help
bring peace wherever we can –regardless of whether we think a particular war
is right or wrong.

Party policies

The Conservatives have promised to hold an in/out referendum
on the EU, maintain
the size of the armed services and retain trident.

Labour pledge to allow no further transfer of powers to
Brussels without a referendum, outlaw discrimination against
Armed Forces members and establish a Centre for Universal Health Coverage to
provide global support to help countries provide free healthcare.

The Liberal Democrats would ban arms exports to countries
flagged up by the FCO's human rights report, integrate defence and security
spending and cut the number of submarines.

UKIP would push forward an in/out referendum on the EU in the hopes of leaving the EU, seek to establish free trade agreements across the
globe, increase defence spending, retain trident and consult parliament before
committing Britain's armed forces to combat situations.

The Greens would scrap the UK's nuclear weapons, prioritise
securing a global agreement on climate and stop the EU-US free trade deal (TTIP).